Howard Lake Herald, October 27, 1997

ATM burglarized in Howard Lake

The sound of metal on metal attracted the attention
of off-duty Howard Lake Police Chief Mike Simmons the night of
Oct. 18, as he stood by a glass door looking down 8th Ave.

Simmons related his story to the Herald. He
noticed what appeared to be an adult male moving past a lower
window just west of the entry door to Gerry's Super Valu.

The man was hunched over and wore a black stocking
type cap that was pulled down over his face.

Simmons believed a burglary was in progress,
and the suspect was fleeing from the scene.

Due to the location of initial observation,
Simmons was only able to catch a short glimpse of the suspect
as he exited the building through the broken window.

The suspect began running west from the store.
He was wearing dark clothing and gloves. He was approximately
5'11" and about 180 pounds.

Simmons said the man was fast and agile. The
police chief alerted Wright County dispatch of the crime in progress
and the suspects' direction of travel. He then gave foot pursuit.

It was quiet, said Simmons, and he couldn't
hear a vehicle engine. Some minutes later, dogs could be heard
barking west of the crime scene, possibly due to the suspect fleeing
in that direction, he said.

The Wright County Sheriff's Department gave
immediate assistance, with Deputy Mitch Fleming responding west
of the crime scene about four blocks.

Fleming took up a position directly in the
path of the suspect's last known direction of travel.

Sergeant Joe Hagerty and Deputy Greg Findley
arrived minutes later and took up a position just north of Deputy
Fleming.

A short time later, Deputy Dan Anselment arrived
with his k-9 partner and started tracking the suspect near the
scene of the break-in.

The dog immediately moved west from the store
through the yards between 6th St. and 7th St.

Then the k-9 unit continued west from 9th Ave.
along the north side of 7th St. until they were two blocks away
from Deputy Fleming's location.

The dog turned through the residential area
to the corner of 6th St. and 10th Ave, where he appeared to lose
the scent.

Another attempt was made with the same result.

About the same time, a traffic stop was made
by Hagerty on 13th Ave. He observed a vehicle exiting a driveway
with the headlights turned off.

The driver of the vehicle, Carl R. Leaf, was
arrested as a suspect in the break-in, and the investigation continues,
said Simmons. Leaf had not been charged as of Thursday.

The investigation has revealed an unknown suspect(s)
used a hard object to smash the window in Gerry's Super Valu,
entered, and used a large crowbar to pry open the front panel
of the ATM machine.

No entry to the safe inside wasmade. The suspect
left the crowbar and a small bag of tools behind, when he fled
the scene.